Coffee Cups and Late Night Talks
by Sanru
Summary: Sequel to Tech Support: Woe is Donnie. He's the acting 'leader' while Leo is trainning in South America and now has to deal with a girl who is hell bent on making his life even worst. Or is she actually trying to help in her own psychotic way?
1. Chapter 1: A Dreaded Phone Call

Disclaimer: Though I hate to admit it I don't think the turtles could all fit into my room so I guess I can't have them. Also I doubt I could live with Raph's snoring, Mikey B.O., Donatello's projects strewn around my floor, and Leo constantly nagging his brothers to show some respect to me. I guess it's probably better that they belong to someone else. Let them deal with all that and more. I also don't want Stockman or Shredder blowing a hole in my wall. I've just gotten my room the way I like it.

Tech Support_ was such a big hit and enough people ask for more that this little story was the result. I haven't decided how long it will last, probably till I get bored with it (or someone tells my it's horrible and I should delete it). I was going to add it as another chapter in _Tech Support_ but since this isn't based of a real life experience, and really has nothing to do with computer, I decided to keep them separate._

_Also, like most comedy sequels, it probably won't be half as funny as _Tech Support_. However it is going to explore how poor Donnie survived acting as leader while Leonardo was in South America. _

_Rated K for bad language and sexual references _

Coffee Cups and Late Night Talks

Chapter One: A Dreaded Phone Call

He had a headache. It was either from the screaming costumers over his headset or the fact that he was pouring his fifth cup of coffee in less then an hour. He really didn't care. The slight buzz in his head was nothing compared to the static coming over the headset at the moment. He glanced at the clock, the phone lines usually slowed down around ten for some reason. It was a welcome reprieve from the yelling and screaming. That and it meant he had only an hour left of work.

He deemed that there was enough milk in his coffee and stepped away from counter, heading for the table which had the sugar bowl. Two spoonfuls would do it for him tonight he figured. As he began to stir the sugar into the coffee his cell phone began to ring. He snatched it up without a second thought and flipped it open. Only a handful of people knew his number and all of them were good friends. He hoped that whatever the call was about it was good news. Good news was always welcome. "Hello?"

"Donatello!"

The coffee that he had just sipped from the cup was suddenly airborne as it shot out of his nose and mouth at high velocity. As the remnants of his drink dripped down his face and soaked into the wood of the table he heard from over his phone, "Now that didn't sound good." The voice was female and definitely not April's. To Donnie's mounting horror he realized that there was only one other female that had his number.

It had to be the psychotic girl who had promised to call him a week ago so she could take him out to coffee.

He quickly glanced at the calendar as he set down his mug. Yup, a week had past, right down to the last few minutes. If anything this girl was late by about two minutes. Don was trying to wrap his head around the fact that she had actually called. He wiped the coffee off his face with the back of his hand, "I…um… you…uh…well…uh…This…Yeah…"

"Try syllables and sentences when attempting to speak the English language or any language for that matter. It tends to help," the girl had a touch of humor to her voice as she prodded the dumbstruck man over the phone. She was assuming that it was a boy anyway. She had no idea that it was actually a five foot turtle.

"T-this is unexpected," Don was finally able to get out in one rush of breath.

"Trust me, as you get to know me more then you'll realize to always expect the unexpected from me."

That gave Don a bad feeling. A very bad feeling, "Um… Okay I gue-"

"Where do you want to meet?" she suddenly cut him off and Don took a moment to pull the phone from away from the side of his head to look at the offending object as if it was responsible for the voice.

"Who said I was going to meet you anywhere?" he said as he placed the phone back to his ear.

"You said 'Okay'," she pointed out.

"Yes but if you had let me fini-"

"But if I had done that you might've talked yourself out of this."

He blinked, "Out of what?"

"A coffee." After a moment of silence she continued, "Remember I mixed up your words to the point where you were having phone bondage with me and it totally embarrassed you so I offered you a cup of coffee with me as an apology."

"Renet," Don said suddenly slightly angry that the timestress would play such a dirty trick on him. "Enough games."

"Renet? Who's Renet? Is that your girlfriend?!" The girl on the other end seemed suddenly excited.

"What!?" despite his best wishes a small blush seemed to rise on Donnie's cheeks. "No!"

The girl went on like he hadn't said anything, "You go, Donatello! Wow, and here I thought you were going to be like every other geek I have ever known. You've actually climbed out of the geeky hole you built for yourself to hide in during your adolescent years enough to find a girlfriend. Congratulations!"

"Listen to me," Donatello snapped. "She is not my girlfriend. She is just a very good friend who happens to be a girl."

"Suuuuurrrrrreeeee, she is," She sounded anything but convinced.

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. The egg timer sitting at his computer nook began to ring, signaling the end of his break. "Look, I have to get back to work."

"What? Wait! What about-" the click of the cell phone snapping shut cut her off in mid sentence. Part of Donnie felt bad for hanging up on her but right now his job was the most important thing to him. It wasn't just for the pay check anymore. It was more of an escape from reality. A place he could go to get away from his life for a few hours every night and not have to worry about anything or anyone.

His headset beeped, signaling an incoming call. Pressing a button on the ear piece, Donatello automatically said, "Hello, this is Donatello. How can I help you today?"

"Gee, sound a little more bored, please. It could make this conversation a whole hell of a lot easier."

"How the hell?!" Don squawked. It was that girl again.

She laughed, "You said you had to get back to work. I just had to call the tech support line and request Donatello."

Don didn't realize that someone could request him, he had always assumed that the calls had been sent to the next available support technician. "You can't talk to me here!"

"What do you call what I'm doing now?"

Don palmed his face, slowly dragging his hand down it. "This line is for business, not personnel conversations."

"And I consider taking you out to a well deserved cup of coffee business. And if you're hot, I might just have to convince you to dump Renet. Then it'll become personel."

"I am not dating her," Donatello was getting exasperated. "And I'm not going to go get coffee with you. Good night."

"Donatello! Don't you dare-" He pressed the button on the side of the headset again, hanging up on the nameless girl.

The headset beeped again. "Hello, this is Donatello. How can I help you today?"

"You know, it's very rude to hang up on some one when they are talking."

"Wha-" he said perplexed for a moment before remembering that she could request him at anytime. "Look, I'm at work. You could get me fired for this."

"Then just agree to meet me for coffee at the Starbuck's on Fifth and First at eleven thirty tonight."

"No," he pushed the button again before she could say anything. The headset beeped again and he sighed, almost dreading the outcome of answering it. "Hello, this is Donatello. How can I help you today?"

"Wil-" he didn't even let her finish the first word this time.

The headset beeped almost immediately after he hung up, "Hello, this is Donatello. How can I help you today?"

"Don-" _Click_.

_Beep. Beep._ "Woul-" _Click._

_Beep. Beep. _"Ar-" _Click._

_Beep. Beep. _"So-" _Click._

_Beep. Beep. _"How-" _Click._

_Beep. Beep. _"'bou-" _Click._

_Beep. Beep. _"Tha-" _Click._

_Beep. Beep. _"Coffe-" _Click._

_Beep. Beep. _"Run-" _Click._

_Beep. Beep. _"Tonig-"_ Click._

_Beep. Beep. _Donatello could feel his eye twitching. Never before had he ever had something like this happen to him on the phone with a total stranger. Mikey, yes, but a girl he had only had four phone conversations with, no. He wasn't counting the previous eleven 'calls' either. She hadn't even gotten a full word out so as far as he was concerned they didn't count.

He pressed the button on the headset slightly harder then needed and snapped out before she could say anything, "This is considered harassment!"

"Harassment?" Don felt his stomach drop right through the floor as a very male sounding voice came through the phone. "What the hell do you mean by harassment? This is you're damn job!"

"Um…well-"

"Shut your damn mouth or I'll give you some 'harassment' that you won't ever forget!"

"Um… Sir-"

"Sir!" the voice shrieked suddenly sounding very feminine and **very** angry. "Who the hell do you think you are?!"

"I-I'm sorry ma'am but you-"

"I told you to shut the hell up!" Don reached up and pulled the ear piece away from his ear to try and prevent going deaf. "Where do you get off calling me a man **and **that I'm harassing you! This is an outrage! It's your job to answer the phone! If you don't like it then get a new job! Or go to **HELL**!" with that the enraged women slammed the phone down on its cradle.

Don sighed, that could have gone better. A lot better. He put the earpiece back against his head. It was all that girl's fault, he decided bitterly. He rubbed his temples as he tried to sooth his headache. His headset beeped again and he pressed the button only because he had to. "Hello?" he said distractedly not really caring who was on the other end.

"Wow, what happened to you? You sound like someone just ran over your dog."

Don let his forehead fall onto one of his keyboards. Of course it would have to be that demon spawn of a girl. He smacked his head again just for the heck of it. "It's a long story," he mumbled and almost hit his head again but decided that his head was hurting bad enough.

"Want to tell me over coffee?" she no longer sounded teasing. Instead it was remorseful and apologetic. He could almost see her standing in a room somewhere with her brows draw together in a frown.

"If it will make you leave me alone, yes." He sat up and rubbed his forehead to try and relieve the pain.

"Eleven thirty at the Starbuck's on Fifth and First?"

"How about across the street next to the alley." He may have been giving in but Donatello didn't dare walk into a brightly lit café to have coffee with a complete stranger.

"If you trying to scare me off, it won't work."

"I didn't think so."

"What kind of coffee would you like? I'll even deliver it for you."

"Regular coffee with cream and two sugars."

"Gotcha, I'll be wearing a brown jacket and a green tee shirt. She you there, Donatello." The phone then went silent as it waited for the next call.

Don shook his head, unbelieving that he had just done that. He had a date with a girl he had only talked to a couple of times on the phone. What was worst was he was going to have to go out into public. He sighed and wondered just what else could go wrong before his unwanted 'date'.

"Gross!" Donatello blinked at Mikey's voice as it rang out in the near silence of the lair. "Don! The kitchen is a mess!" The kitchen? It took Don a moment to remember that he had sprayed coffee all over the table. "EEEEEKKKKKK!" Mikey screamed. "There's coffee on my comics!!!" Don put his elbows on his knees and hung his head.

'Why me?' he thought as Mikey started screaming and crying over the coffee stains on his magazines. 'Why does it always have to be me?'

* * *

_Poor, poor Donatello. Should I tell him it's only going to get worst?_

_Donatello: What!? Why!?_

_I like torturing you, why else? (shrug) Do I need a good reason? _

_Donatello: I-I guess not._

_Good. I don't have one._

_(Donatello rolls his eyes) _


	2. Chapter 2: Dianna Cambridge

Disclaimer: Though I hate to admit it I don't think the turtles could all fit into my room so I guess I can't have them. Also I doubt I could live with Raph's snoring, Mikey B.O., Donatello's projects strewn around my floor, and Leo constantly nagging his brothers to show some respect to me. I guess it's probably better that they belong to someone else. Let them deal with all that and more. I don't want Stockman or Shredder blowing a hole in my wall, I've just gotten my room the way I like it.

_Okay, it's going to get a little darker here on out but I still promise the same kind of humor. The 'dark' parts are only going to be when Donatello is at home or when he is thinking of home. The rest of the story is going to be as funny as I can possibly make it. _

_Remember, this is set when Leo is off training in South America for almost a year and a half. The lair and his brothers aren't the same without him so I'm trying to portray that as best I can. _

_Trust me. There is a method to my madness._

_Maybe…_

Coffee Cups and Late Night Talks

Chapter Two: Dianna Cambridge

This was a bad idea and he knew it.

He was the smart one, the sensible one, the one who always though things through several times before doing anything. All his brothers were relying on him to be the rock, the one constant in their lives, and even he had to admit he was good at it.

This, though, was so unlike him.

It was one thing to give his shell cell number out to some random girl over the phone but it was a completely other thing to actually agree to having coffee with her. Yet, here he was standing in an alley across from a Starbucks waiting for a girl in a brown jacket and a green tee shirt to walk over with two cups of coffee.

Yup, he was starting to turn into Raph as much as he hated to admit that.

Just thinking about his older brother had his blood boiling. The role of temporary leader had been forced onto him without his consent. Even though he didn't want it, Raph seemed to hate him for it. As the second oldest, Don could understand why Raph would be upset that his younger brother had been given the role instead of him. Don thought it was a odd choice that Master Splinter had made. Don had thought for sure Raph would be told to keep him and Mikey out of trouble but when Splinter told him it was his responsibility he had balked. He knew Raph wasn't going to like this one bit.

Raphael now seemed to resent him more and more with each passing day. His older brother only got physical with him once, thankfully. In a fight, Don doubted he would last then a few minutes against Raph anyways. Especially if the older turtle was really pissed off. It had been after Donatello had told him he knew what Raph was doing night after night. Raphael's response had been fast and brutal. He had thrown Don against the wall, holding him a solid foot of the ground and threatening to put him in traction if he told anyone he was the Nightwatcher. Donatello had just stayed silent, waiting a full minute before saying, "As long as you're careful and call me if you get in trouble."

Raph had just laughed at him and walked away.

He knew he shouldn't have backed down in front of Raph. He had watched how Leo and Raph always used to fight and knew that backing down and letting Raph have his way was the worst decision he could have made. Raphael would now use him like a door mat and liberally did. Raph was smart, though, and always did it when it was just the two of them.

That was why he was waiting here. He just had to get away. He had to forget about everything Raph had said and done in the past few weeks. He had to get away from Splinter who, for hours on end, would stand there staring at the shelves that held trophies of their past victories. He had to get away from Mikey who had reached a whole new level of annoying as he bugged the only turtle who wouldn't bash his brains in with the nearest available heavy object when he was bored.

It was like drowning, he realized. Everything just kept piling up and pushing him down. Eventually he wouldn't be able to breath. He hoped that Leo came back before then. It made him shudder to think of what would happen to Raph, Mikey, and Master Splinter if something had happened to him now.

Leonardo. It was hard not to be worried about him. He was the most skilled at all of them in ninjitsu but it had been a year since he had left. One year of worrying that something had happened to him. At least they still received a letter (or rather April did and then brought it to them unopened) during the first week of the month.

He sighed and shifted slightly in the bulky coat he wore. He longed to have his brother back. To have things the way they had once been. He knew that was never possible, Leo was learning so much down there no matter how many times he said he felt like he wasn't learning something. He would come back a stronger leader but he would still be his brother.

A girl hurrying across the street to make the crossing light suddenly caught his attention. In each hand was a Starbucks coffee and she was wearing a brown jacket. That had to be her. The girl he was hoping could take his mind off his family problems for a few minutes at least.

He studied her as she came closer. She was maybe his height and heavier looking then April was. She seemed happy though. A smile was on her face as she walked towards him being echoed by the two bright blue eyes. Long brown hair was being held back by a head band but still fell to her waist. Under the jacket was a green shirt. A pair of tight jeans accented the curves of her hips and disappeared into a pair of knee high brown boots that had a small one inch blocked heel.

It took him a moment to realize he was staring at her.

"Donatello?" she asked as she came within talking distance. He was barely able to nod which caused her to laugh, "Yeah I get that a lot." She handed him one of the medium cardboard mugs in her hands, "Just the way you said."

"Umm… thanks!" He said taking the mug from her hand. He kept it shrouded in the shadows, making sure she wouldn't see his hand.

"Anytime, Bogart" she took a sip of the beverage she was still holding. "Nothing like coffee at eleven thirty at night."

He was wearing the trench coat and fedora that Leo used to wear when he had to go out in public. No one would notice it missing he hoped and it gave him a little boast of confidence that he was safe standing on the sidewalk next to a very attractive young woman. "Only thing that beats it is coffee at midnight."

She laughed, "True, can't argue with that. All we need now is to have triple chocolate, double threat ice cream at three."

"Do I even want to know what that is?"

"I'll make it for you one later. It's a type of sundae that I invented to help me pull off the last few hours in an all night study session for finals. Trust me, it'll keep you going for at least twelve hours. Guaranteed."

"Why do you keep assuming that there is going to be a next time?" He winced slightly at his angry words. Expecting the young lady to shout at him and then turn away to vanish from his life completely.

She laughed at him. "Donatello that is no way to talk to a lady." She flashed him a smile, "Besides I have your cell and work number. I'll track you down again."

"You do know that is considered stalking," he said.

She looked startled for a moment as if it had never dawned on her that what she was doing could technically have her arrested. If Don was willing to testify in a court of law. Which he couldn't and wouldn't. She leaned towards him slightly and whispered, "You like it and you know it. Get off your high horse and lead it for once."

For a moment they both just stood there in comfortable silence sipping from the almost too hot coffees. Worried that the conversation was going to die there, Don forced himself to say, "I honestly thought you wouldn't call,"

"Like I told you, you don't know me that well." She shrugged, "Besides, I don't know many people here. You're the only one I know who does live almost two states away."

"If you didn't know many people here then why did you move?"

"College. I spent two years at the small college near my home to get all my electives under my belt then moved here to get my actually degree. It's cheaper that way."

"What are you majoring in?" he asked. Donatello never admitted it to anyone before but he had always wanted to go to college and obtain a degree. He just didn't think that there were many correspondence schools offering technical engineering degrees.

"Zoology. If I take two more psychology courses I could have a minor too."

"That's an odd combination."

"I know. I could be the next Dog Whisperer or something. Have a dog with a problem? If not I'll make one up that sounds realistic enough that you pay me gobs of money."

He snickered at that. Mikey watched shows like that a lot even though Don had told him it was all just a hoax. It was nice to know that there was someone else out there who thought that the show was ridiculous "What made you decide on zoology?"

"It's kind of a long story-"

"I've got the time if you do."

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye for a moment before sighing. "I have always been interested in animals but especially reptiles and amphibians. I guess that my brother's pet turtle and snake can be the blame for that. I use to spend hours as a kid laying across his bed watching them just sitting there. I have Magellan now. My brother couldn't take him to California with him so I brought him here with me."

"Magellan?"

"My brother's turtle, he got the name from the explorer. Not really sure why he called him that. Although, I swear that turtle has a romantic interest with the bobble-headed hula doll in his tank."

"I really didn't need that mental image," he shook his head to banish the image of a doll head waving about wildly- "I thought you said that I would be a long story?" he managed to choke out before his imagination really went crazy.

"I took out a lot of the details."

"Like what?"

She turned to face him and Don tilted his head down a little so that the brim of his hat hid his face better. The lighting wasn't the best but at this close of a range she would definitely see that he wasn't a human. "You seem very interested in me. Let's talk about you for a bit. I know you're an IT guy but what else do you do?"

"Ummm… play around on my computer… mess with my car…" He really didn't want to tell her too much. Besides how could he explain half the things he did? It wasn't like he could say, 'Updating the Lair's security system.' That would really confuse her. "Stuff like that."

"Right,' she didn't sound that convinced. "What about your family?"

"I rather not talk about them."

"That bad huh?"

He sighed, thinking about how everyone had been for the past eighteen months, "You have no idea."

She was silent for a moment before saying, "I know I'm not a counselor but I'm a good friend. If you want to talk about it I'm here."

Though she sounded sincere, Donatello didn't think it would be wise to try and explain his problems to her. He would have to tell her way to many things about himself and his family. He looked away, "Thanks for the offer but no thanks."

"You sure?"

"Positive." He realized that their coffees had been empty for a while and a sinking feeling built in his stomach. She was going to have to leave soon. It wasn't like she had an excuse to stay any longer. Her slight sigh told him that she had enjoyed the coffee outing as much as he had or it was just his imagination.

"I guess I should go finish unpacking," she looked at him. "Don't suppose you want to help?"

Though he would have liked to go help her and get to know her better he knew it wasn't possible. "Sorry, I should be getting home."

"Darn," she smiled. "And here I was hoping to get some slave labor out of you as pay back for the coffee."

"I thought that the coffee was an apology for making embarrassing me over the phone?"

"The cup you just drank, yes. I'm talking about the pots we could go through as we wrestled with cardboard boxes, packing tape, and broke the really ugly dishware my brother gave to me as a house warming gift."

"Huh?"

"I need an excuse to get something other then pink dishware. I think he bought me those just to piss me off. He knows I hate pink."

He would have rather gone to her place and broke pink dishware but as it was he had been out to long. Some one was bound to notice he had been missing for a while and with his luck it would be Raph. "Sorry but-"

"Yeah, I know." Again she was smiling at him and he briefly wondered if she knew any other facial expressions. "Parting is such sweet sorrow and whatever else the rest of that quote is. Have a good night, Donatello." With that she turned and started down the street.

"Do you need me to walk you home?" he asked her retreating figure.

She laughed and pointed to an apartment building three buildings down the street. "Drop the chivalrous mentality. I doubt I'll be attacked walking twenty feet down the road."

"Still," he walked over so he was next to her. "It's better to be safe then sorry." Donatello knew he was taking a risk walking next to her. The lamppost that they would past under would definitely show off his non human features even with the shadows the fedora's brim were casting.

Luckily she didn't seem to be looking to closely at him. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you liked being around me." He eyes seemed to twinkle almost as she cast him a side long glance. "You better not be planning on beating me with your stick."

"Actually it's not with me." That was the truth since his bo was sitting back in the lair next to him computers. If that was missing along with him then both Mikey ad Raph would come looking for him. Hopefully his brothers would assume when they saw that it was just sitting there that he was just somewhere in the lair fiddling with one of the electronics or some of the piping.

"A removable stick," she giggled. "Now that's impressive. Does it still work when you put it back on?" She then burst into laughter and Don wondered if she had seen his blush through the shadows.

"Wha- No! That's not-" he sputtered trying to save some of his dignity.

"I know what you mean," she panted trying to get her breath back. She playful punched his shoulder, "You so much fun to tease." She then headed up the steps that they had stopped next to. She paused at the door and looked back at him. "Same time next week? I guess that I owe you another coffee for that last line."

He knew he shouldn't. There was a high possibility that she would eventually realize what he was the more and more time they spent together. There was no telling what would happen then. As a zoology major, she might have him put in a tank for further observation.

"Sure," he said before he could think any more. He knew that there was risk in meeting with her again but one more time wouldn't kill him. He would just be as careful as he was this time if not even more so. "But only if you tell me your name."

"I ever told you that?" she seemed perplexed for a moment as she thought back. "Yeah I guess your right. My name's Dianna Cambridge. See you next week Donatello." With that she vanished through the door, the lock clicking into place.

He shook his head and headed back to the alley they had first met in front of where a man hole was waiting to let him head down into the sewers again. He had barely made it three steps before his cell rang. Holding his breath he glanced quickly at the number.

It was Raph. No doubt making sure his little brother was safe and sound and not out doing something stupid like having coffee with random girls. Don broke into a run. If he hurried he would be able to say he had been working on the steam line that they used to heat the Lair. He knew that Raph wouldn't really believe him but it would be a plausible enough excuse to avoid having Raph follow him around, demanding answers.

He was through the manhole cover, sliding it shut all the way with a kur-thunk that made him think of the lock on a door.

* * *

_Okay that was actually boring… and there really wasn't any Donatello bashing…_

_Donatello: Thankfully…_

_Guess I'll just have to make up for it next time. (evil grin)_

_(Donatello's shoulders slump and he sighs.)_


	3. Chapter 3: Contents are Hot

_Sorry I haven't been posting but I have a really good excuse. I've moved to civilization! (Well as close to civilization as Maine will ever get) Go me!_

_So yeah, sorry about the wait. I'll shut up now so you can enjoy the fic._

_Oh yeah, before I forget I have nothing against nerds or geeks so sorry in advance if I offend anyone with my description. It's completely unintentional._

Disclaimer: Though I hate to admit it I don't think the turtles could all fit into my room so I guess I can't havethem. Also I doubt I could live with Raph's snoring, Mikey B.O., Donatello's projects strewn around my floor, and Leo constantly nagging his brothers to show some respect to me. I guess it's probably better that they belong to someone else. Let them deal with all that and more. I don't want Stockman or Shredder blowing a hole in my wall, I've just gotten my room the way I like it.

Coffee Cups and Late Night Talks

Chapter Three: Contents are Hot

Donatello barely pushed up on the manhole cover letting the smallest sliver of light through. He peered out through the small crack and held his breath as he listened for any noise in the empty alley. After several minutes of silence, he let out a gusty sigh and pushed the cover back so he could climb out of the sewers. He quietly put the cover back and headed towards the entrance of the alley, adjusting the collar on his trench coat as he went.

Normally he wouldn't be half as wary as he was being but this time he was. With the Foot no longer a huge threat there were only four others out there who would be able to easily sneak up on him. Most street thugs made too much noise or would start talking making it easier to pin point them.

Raph hadn't bought his excuse the previous week which was the whole reason why Don was being so cautious. He wouldn't put it past Raph to try following him. As it was, Raphael stayed in the lair longer then usual. He usually left to go 'out' just after nightfall but tonight he had stayed, watching some really weird program with Mikey on VH1. He didn't leave until after Don had sat down at the computer station to start answering IT calls.

Then Don had to get away from Mikey. That was not easy. While Don did love his younger brother, there were times when he wanted nothing more then for him to go away. It was another one of the reasons on a very long list of reasons why he wanted Leo to be home. Leo always was the one who would sit down and watch movies with Mikey. He also enjoyed sitting in the recliner reading while Mikey played one of his obnoxious video games with the annoying sound affects. How he could focus on the book Don didn't know.

With Leo gone, Mikey had decided that Don would be the next best choice to con into watching movies and sitting there as he played video games. Normally Don didn't mind spending quality time with Mikey but it was Wednesday night and that meant it was coffee night.

He was able to convince Mikey that he had work to do on part of their waste water system and that he was going to be at it awhile. Mikey had sat there watching him fiddle with some of the piping for a while before getting bored and heading back into the lair. Don had then taken the fedora and trench coat out of his duffle and hidden his equipment before creeping off.

His escape from the sewers was a success but he still kept out and eye and ear in case the Nightwatcher happened by. He knew that there would be some question to answer when he got home if Raph saw him. He scanned the rooftops once more before stepping out of the shadows and onto the street.

He dipped his head down so that the brim of his hat hid his features in shadows. His hands remained tucked into the coat's deep pockets as he walked down the street. As he headed down the street, he hurried along making it look like he had a place to be several minutes ago. The few people walking down the street didn't even give him a second look.

He stopped and leaned against the wall of a building. His eyes idly went to the building across from him. The smell of the coffee wafting through the air caused him to sigh. All the precautions were worth it to him just so he could have another coffee with Dianna.

"Speak of the Devil," he muttered under his breath as the girl walked out of the Starbucks across the way. She was juggling two large cups of coffee in her hands and the act became even more amusing as she tried to wave to him and not spill the contents of the Styrofoam mugs. Making sure no one would see his hand, Donatello gave her a quick wave back.

Mere moments later, she was walking towards him on his side of the street having sprinted across the road to avoid becoming a pancake. She was dressed almost the same way she had been the previous week except she was wearing a yellow tee shirt and her hair had been tamed back into a messy yet functional bun. As he met her eyes, Don felt himself blush as he realized he wasn't the only one ogling. He suddenly felt very self conscious about the ratty coat he was wearing.

"Why do you always wear that trench coat and hat?" Dianna asked as she handed over his coffee. "Do you have that many zits?"

As he took his first sip of heaven, Donatello made a noise in the back of his throat. "Hm?"

She rolled her eyes and said while mischief grin spread over her face. "I'm following the stereotypical vision of a nerd here Don. Since you are always hiding your face my imagination is kind of running wild."

Don wondered if her imagination ever stopped. "I'm really quite normal," he lied as he took a step back just in case she reached for his hat. "There is nothing special about me."

She continued as if he hadn't just moved away from her or said anything, ticking the different items off on her fingers. "Your hair doesn't look like it's been washed in days. You have zits that look like freckles or freckles that look like zits, your choice. Your glasses are being held together with tape and a whole lot of luck. You are in serious need to go see an orthodontist. I'm really not sure which kind of shirt you would be wearing. It would either be a nicely pressed, dry-clean only shirt with a pocket protector or a tee shirt that says something like 'I survived Y2K'. And, last but not least, you're suffering from whatever the people fearing phobia is called."

"Anthropophobia," Don replied automatically.

"No need to be smart about it."

"I'm not being smart about it. I'm just providing the proper term for you in case you want to use it again."

She just stared at him for a second and Don resisted the edge to shuffle his feet or look away. "No, I know exactly what kind of shirt you're wearing. It's white, has a picture of a goofy donkey smiling on it and saying underneath the donkey in big capital letters smart-"

"I am not!" Don snapped before he meant to. That was Raph's new favorite nickname for Donatello. The word tended to stir up some memories of the worst fights that the two had had together.

Dianna seemed a little taken back but the sudden outburst. Instead of getting mad or yelling at him she did the exact opposite. She put a hand on his shoulder, "Are you alright? I was just teasing you. I didn't mean to offend you."

"I-It's not that," Don said suddenly feeling bad for snapping at her. "That word just brought back some bad memories. That's all. I'm sorry for snapping at you."

"Water under the bridge," she replied with a shrug of her shoulders. "My offer still stands. If you ever want to talk about anything personal I'm here. I promise you my lips are sealed and I won't tell a soul a thing."

Don thought about the offer before heaving a sigh and gently brushing her hand off. "Thanks for the offer but no thanks."

"Don," she had that serious tone to her voice again. When he looked at her they made eye contact and her piercing gaze made him feel like he was naked. Almost like she could look right through the shadows and see what he truly was. She stared at him like that for a long time before looking away and pinching the bridge of her nose. "Why are men so stubborn?" she asked no one in particular.

Don opened his mouth to say something only to snap it close. The whole reason they had gotten into this argument was him being to smart for his own good. Again.

An uncomfortable silence filled the air around them as they stood on the sidewalk drinking their coffee's. Don tried to figure out something to say to break the silence and bring back the carefree, humorous atmosphere that usually surrounded them but he couldn't figure out a way of saying anything without sounding condescending or rude. He was about to say goodnight and head for the nearest manhole but Dianna said, "How close was I anyways?"

"Huh?"

"My description of you. Was I even close to being right?"

"No, you were off by a mile." Of course Don wasn't going to say a thing about what he really looked like. If he did describe himself he had a feeling that Dianna would just say 'yeah, right' and then fall over laughing to roll around on the ground kicking her feet in the air.

"Really?" she seemed shocked. She put a hand to her chin in a classic thinking pose and cocked her head slightly to the side. She then snapped the fingers that had once been at her chin and looked at Don with a grin promising mischief. "Guess I should see what you look like for myself," her hand then darted out, reaching for his hat.

Don jerked his head back, barely avoiding the outstretched digits. "Hey!" he said as he took a few steps back. Dianna followed and reached for his hat again. "Dianna! Cut that out!" He dodged around her and back down the sidewalk keeping as much distance as he could between Dianna's hand and his hat.

She giggled as the two danced about on the sidewalk. "It won't kill you," she said as she continued trying to grab the hat. "I promise not to freak out over a plethora of zits or unwashed hair. I could even give you some pointers on how to keep your hair silky smooth and semi-tamed."

Somehow, Don was entirely convinced that she wouldn't freak out if she saw his 'zits'. And how could she give him pointer on his hair? He didn't have any hair to begin with.

It was bound to happen eventually. With the two of them fighting over the hat and the mostly full containers of coffee in their hands, it was Murphy's Law that one of them was going to spill the contents of their drink. The first victim and only victim was Dianna who had barely had time to drink her coffee. The still steaming contents slopped over the edge of the cup and landed on her hand with a barely noticeable splash.

The scream Dianna let lose was easily heard not only by Donatello but everyone in a three block radius. "Ow! Ow! Ow! Crud, that was so stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Ow! Ow! That burns!" She began hopping around waving the burned appendage as if she could shake off the scorched skin and make her hand feel better.

Don stepped over the steaming remnants of Dianna's coffee which had met and unfortunate end when she dropped it to tend to more pressing matters. His eyes tracked the failing appendage as he tried to see the extent of the damage. "Are you alright?" he didn't think she had been seriously hurt and he had a sneaking suspicion that she was over reacting just a little bit.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Do you honestly think I'm alright?! I just dumped boiling coffee all over my hand! Ow! Darn, did I mention this hurt?!"

"It wasn't boiling coffee, you didn't exactly dump it on your hand and I think your overacting."

She looked at him for a moment with big tearful eyes, holding the wrist of her injured hand as if she was trying to rip off the hand and stop the pain. Suddenly she stood, seeming completely fine and not like she had just spilled coffee on herself. "Yeah, I think your right about the overreacting part. I guess it's just a natural gift."

Don rolled his eyes and took another sip of coffee.

Dianna reached down and picked up the empty cup with a sigh. "I guess it just wasn't meant to be…" she said sadly shaking her head. She glanced around before walking past Don and into the nearby alley.

"Dianna! Get out to there," he said forgetting the coffee and everything else. Walking into a dark alley in the middle of New York City in the dead of night was one of the worst things to do. Don knew from experience that alleys like that could hold all sorts of nasty surprises.

"Relax, Don," she said as she stepped back out onto the sidewalk and headed for her apartment. "I've told you to drop the chivalrous attitude once before didn't I?"

Don matched her steps as they went down the concert path. "Take my word for it that was not a smart thing to do."

"You speak from experience?"

Donatello thought back to all the fights and ambushes that he had experienced in various alleys all over the city. "Yes."

"Alrighty then," she placed a hand on her heart and stood at attention. "I swear on my scouts honor not to go into any more dark alleys in the dead of night. Better?"

Don sighed. "Better then nothing."

"No moping allowed," she poked him in the chest for emphasis. "Live a little and be happy." She winked at him before hoping up the steps to her apartment. "See you next week. Same time, same place?"

He nodded his head yes. "Goodnight," he said as he turned and head back down the street. He wasn't looking forward to go home and dealing with all the problems there but at least he had next Wednesday to look forward to. And something told him it would be a welcome reprieve after the coming week was past.

On the other side of the street, a figure watched as the trench coat clad turtle walked down the sidewalk and headed for a manhole in an alley. It was only after the manhole cover was back in place did the figure move. The faint creak of leather and the muffled scrapping noise of metal filled the air as turned and headed for the other side of the building.

"Well Donnie-boy," the helmet muffled his voice slightly making it harder to determine who hid behind the Plexiglas but it was easy for one of his family members or close friends to recognize his voice. "I guess we need to have a little talk."

The Nightwatcher reached the other side of the building and paused for a moment before springing out to continue the patrol of his city.

_MMMMWWWHHHHHAAAAAA! Cliffhanger! _

_Don: In case anyone was wondering, Anthropophobia is the fear of people or society._

_Don, what have I said about being a smart-_

_Don: But I not!_


	4. Chapter 4: You Dropped Something

_Sorry if the first sentence is confusing but one of my friends said it and it just seemed to fit in so perfectly with this story._

_Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing, I honestly didn't think this story would be as popular as it's become. It's nice to be proven wrong._

_I hope this is fast enough for you __54Viruses? Mikey's sad puppy eyes got me so I posted this a little earlier then intented._

Disclaimer: Though I hate to admit it I don't think the turtles could all fit into my room so I guess I can't have them. Also I doubt I could live with Raph's snoring, Mikey B.O., Donatello's projects strewn around my floor, and Leo constantly nagging his brothers to show some respect to me. I guess it's probably better that they belong to someone else. Let them deal with all that and more. I don't want Stockman or Shredder blowing a hole in my wall, I've just gotten my room the way I like it.

Coffee Cups and Late Night Talks

Chapter Three: You Dropped Something

Don knew that Raph knew that he knew that Raph knew he wasn't just fixing electronics and plumbing on Wednesday nights. His first clue that Raph was on to him was when Raph tried cornering him in his lab Friday morning. Most likely to have a 'talk'. Luckily a small explosion from the kitchen followed closely by a trademark scream from their little brother had both of them running out of the room to see what had happened.

Leave it to Mikey. That was all that could really be said about the scene that greeted the two older turtles. Somehow, the sea green turtle had managed to not only break the kitchen table but the stove was puffing out billows of black smoke, the fridge was tipped over on its side and there were pieces of metal and wires laying about the concert floor. Master Splinter who had materialized out of no where was the first one to find is voice, "What happened, Michelangelo?"

"Ummm…" Mikey said looking first at his worried sensei then to his brothers. Raph clearly looked like he was going to pound Mikey to China for destroying the kitchen and giving him a minor heart attack. Don was just astounded that Mikey was unscathed. Then Don began to realize the extent of the damage. It would take him a good three to four days to fix and get the kitchen back up to running capacity. "I put metal in the microwave?" Mikey didn't sound too convincing and after the poor excuse was out of his mouth he ran to hide behind Splinter.

"Mikey…" Raph growled and he took a step toward their brother who was in the process of cowering behind their sensei.

"Raph," Don said with an exasperated sigh as he knelt down to examine the bits of the electronics on the floor. He could almost feel the back of his head began the smoke as Raph glared at him. "Leave him alone. The damage has already been done." He squinted at the wires he was holding and then looked around the kitchen to confirm his suspicion. "Mikey where's the toaster. And the blender?"

"Umm… Shanghai."

Don was tired. The kitchen was finally back in one piece. Okay, so he still couldn't find a workable blender but he was checking the dumpsters and junkyard regularly. If anything it was a good excuse he could use if Raph tried questioning where he was going at night.

Especially tonight.

He flopped back against the bricks of the building across the street from the Starbucks. It seemed like it had been ages since he had last stood there waiting for Dianna and coffee. Hard to believe it had only been six nights since he had last saw her. He sighed. It was almost like he had an addiction to the brunet.

"So sorry you had to become president." Don looked up to see Dianna standing next to him holding out a cup of coffee wearing the same outfit as usual except this time she was wearing a blue shirt and her hair was in a single long braid that went down her back. A couple of renegade hairs had fallen free and seemed to frame her face as she looked at him with concern.

"What?" he asked confused as he took his coffee.

"You look like someone blew up your coffee pot."

"Actually it was a blender," he snapped back his head like he was taking a shot of hard liquor rather then a gulp of to hot coffee.

"Oookay. I think someone needs a change of scenery," with that she hooked her arm through his and half dragged him down the street.

"Hey! Wait! Where are we going?!" Don was staggering slight as he regained his footing. He was amazed that he hadn't spilled any of his coffee on the ground.

"I don't know," she said taking a sip from her coffee. "Just somewhere." Don wasn't surprised that she had no destination in mind. There were times that he wondered if she had anything in her mind. "So are you going to tell me what happened?" she asked after a moment.

"What happened where?"

"What happened between the last time I saw you and now?"

"A lot," Don said before he could stop himself. He knew that that would just perk her interest even more then it already had been. He silently berated himself and was startled when the voice yelling at him in his head was Raph's. Something about that irked him and he almost crushed his coffee cup but a gentle hand stopped him.

"Don," Dianna said as she kept her hand on his wrist. "Enough. I didn't just spend four dollars on a cup of coffee for you to first try to cauterize your throat and then to give yourself second degree burns on your hand. If you don't want to talk or think about it then that's alright. I'm sure I can keep your mind off whatever bad things have happened in the past week."

"Don't worry about it," he said automatically. Don was always use to not having the added luxury of having a confident in the family. Leo had been the closest thing he had had but he was gone. The added stress of being the leader added to his shoulders, Don was hitting his limit. Actually he was close to surpasing it. It was only going to be a matter of time before he did something really stupid. Like getting in a fist fight with Raph or actually yelling at Mikey. "I can handle it."

"Yeah right," she said taking another sip of her coffee. "You aren't handling-"

"Well boys, lookee here," A harsh heavily accented voice cut into Dianna's sentence. Don grabbed Dianna and pulled her closer to him. He hadn't been paying attention to where they had been walking and when he realized in the small park near Dianna's apartment he grumbled to himself. It was a perfect place for them to be ambushed, "A pair of love birds takin' a little walk on a moonlit night. Ain't that special?"

"Ummm… Don?" Dianna said as she pressed back against his side.

"Yeah?" he asked as his eyes traced over the rag tag group surrounding them. There was only six Purple Dragons surrounding them. Even if he had his bo, he wouldn't need it to deal with these numbers. He wasn't the best at hand to hand combat among his brothers but he was no slacker.

"You know how I'm always telling you to drop the chivalrous attitude?"

"Yeah."

"Well, pick it back up and do something!"

"Stay here and hold my coffee," he said as he handed it over to her. "I'll be right back."

With a cry of primal rage one of the gangster charged them. Don moved forward to intercept him, easily blocking the wide right hook and taken the man don with one of his own. He then back flipped and caught the wrist of a man who had been reaching for Dianna. She gasped and looked over her shoulder at the punk, clearly not knowing he had been there.

"Trust me," Don said as he pulled the man off balance. "You don't want to so much as touch her while I'm here." He then punched the man in the stomach and, when he doubled over to hold his stomach, it was followed closely by a snap kick to the man's jaw.

"My hero," Dianna said as the man hit the ground hard.

Don was moving again as Dianna's words rang in his ears. It was true. He was a hero. Or at least he had been. When Leo left, the remaining three turtles had been forbidden to fight (something that Raph was completely ignoring). It had been over six months since Don had last been in an actual fight and not a sparring match with Mikey or Raph.

He had forgotten how it felt to fight without holding back.

He had never been a very violent turtle. He was seen as a pacifist by his brothers. Rather then using fists and feet to solve a problem, he would step back and look for a different alternative where there would be no contusions or blood. He wouldn't charge blindly into fights, his greatest asset was his ability to out think his opponent rather then trying to out muscle them.

However, he was a defender. If someone struck out at him, his family or any of his friends he would be all over them. It was one of the reasons why he had chosen the bo staff when his sensei asked what weapon he would like to specialize in when he was still a small turtle. The bo staff was a weapon designed for defense.

As he fought he realized that the violent workout was helping him relieve some of the stress built up on his shoulders. It was like he was knocking out his problems out one by one. He then understood a little bit about why Raph was constantly going out at night to watch over the city. It wasn't just about saving the city. It was about saving himself.

That and he had never had someone standing nearby acting as a commentator to his fight.

"Oh, that's gotta hurt. Donatello used a crescent kick to send one poor dragon in a nearby tree. Hopefully the tree will be able to recover from this traumatic experience without to much therapy." Dianna was talking into her coffee mug as if it was a microphone as she told an imaginary audience what was going on. "Yes folks, this is like watching a Jet Li movie up close and personal."

Don turned and saw a dragon charging him with a switch blade out. He reached and grabbed the nearest available object he could use as a weapon to fend off the attacker. He first threw the contents of the wire trash can at the man before flipping it around and smacking the knife from the man's hand. The gang member clutched at his wrist and Don took the opportunity to put the trash can over his head. He then dropped to one knee and kicked the man's feet out from underneath him.

"Actually, it more like a Jackie Chan movie. He was the one who fought with pieces of sceneryyyyEEEEEEK!"

Don was charging toward Dianna as she screamed. The last of the purple dragons had gotten around him to her. As he watched the man grabbed her roughly and began to pull her around in front of him. Probably to put her between them and then threaten him with her safety. What the poor dragon hadn't been prepared for was for Dianna to sacrifice both of the coffees and throw the hot contents into his face and eyes.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" he let go of her as his tattooed hands came up to claw at his face. He only had a moment to attempt to remove as much of the liquid as possible before Donatello grabbed his collar. The turtle pulled the man with him as he fell backwards and used the added momentum to kick to man forward into a tree.

"Poor tree," he commented as he stood up and brushed off some of the excess dirt and leaves sticking to his jacket. "Should I offer to pay for its therapy?" he asked as he turned to Dianna. She had the oddest look on her face. It was as if she had chugged a pint of limeade and was then told she had been given a hamster. "Dianna," he asked worried that she had been hurt in the fight or was mentally suffering from the traumatic experience. "Are you alright?"

"Ummm…" she said before bending down and picking something off the ground. She handed the object out to him, "You dropped something."

Donatello's hand went to his head to indeed confirm that it was his battered fedora she was holding.

* * *

_Uh-oh. Don's been busted._

_Don: Raph's going to find out about this isn't he?_

_Maybe... Maybe not_


	5. Chapter 5: Expect the Unexpected

Disclaimer: Though I hate to admit it I don't think the turtles could all fit into my room so I guess I can't have them. Also I doubt I could live with Raph's snoring, Mikey B.O., Donatello's projects strewn around my floor, and Leo constantly nagging his brothers to show some respect to me. I guess it's probably better that they belong to someone else. Let them deal with all that and more. I don't want Stockman or Shredder blowing a hole in my wall, I've just gotten my room the way I like it.

_Sorry about the wait, hopefully _Tech Support II _made up for it. I didn't realize how much work goes into getting your own place. It seriously sucks. Plus I have all these chores that don't just get done like the laundry and dishes and cooking and... errr, anyways, here's the next chapter. Let me know what you think._

_Also a round of appluases for 54Viruses. I wasn't going to make this a romance comedy but now I've chance my mind. Please everyone pity, Donnie. He's going to need it._

Coffee Cups and Late Night Talks

Chapter Five: Expect the Unexpected

Donatello typically didn't swear even though he knew lots of swears in several different languages. He only could see their use when something really, **really** bad had happened to the one who was swearing. He also believed that swears should never be said in polite society or in the presents of ladies or small children.

This situation called for some serious bad mouthing to the point where his mouth wouldn't feel clean again until he ate eight bars of soap. However, Dianna was there and even though he seriously doubted her sanity sometimes she was still a lady so he couldn't justify swear out loud. He settled for the next best thing and began to go over every swear word he knew in his head. When he ran out of words, he began combining different words together to make all new swear words.

"Hey, Don," Dianna said as she continued to stand still holding out his hat. "I know you're probably having a near heart attack now-"

"You don't know the half of it," he mumbled as he took a step backwards. He doubted the wisdom of trying to run. He didn't think Dianna would try to chase him down but he had a good thirty feet of open road between him and the nearest batch of shadows. It was bad enough one person had seen him. He didn't need any more then that. Besides he had seen her run in those heels and they had barely slowed her down.

She continued as if he hadn't said anything, "But there is something a little more pressing then you own inner anxiety attack."

It was then that Don heard the sirens.

"Awwww, shell," he mumbled under his breath. The word had taken the place of most swears in his younger days mostly because his sensei wouldn't whap any of his students if they used it instead of some of the other words they knew.

"Oh for the love of…" Dianna took the last several steps toward him and jammed the hat down over his eyes effectively blinding him. He felt her grab his coat sleeve and drag him away from the scene. "We can discuss your… problem after we get away from the police."

Don finally managed to pull the hat off enough so that he could at least see where they were going. "I was born this way. I don't see how that could make it a problem."

"If you are what I think you are, you hatched."

"Technicalities," Don huffed as they continued running down the street.

Dianna suddenly cut across the road heading for the other side of the road and farther away from the park. Donatello wondered who had called the authorities as they ran. She had a death grip on his wrist and was pulling him along as if he was some unruly child. He momentarily thought about breaking her grip but decided against it until he had no other choice. The sudden pressure and the barest of twitches could break her wrist. That and his fedora was attempting to leap off his head and float away in the breeze.

Dianna suddenly took a hard right turn, ducking them into an alley. Don nearly lost his balance, with one hand in the grip of the maniac in front of him and the other trying to prevent his hat from floating away he had no way of catching himself. It was only thanks to Dianna's impossible strong grip he didn't end up on his face. He was pretty sure she would have just dragged him along without stopping anyways.

It then occurred to him on where they were. "Dianna," he said. "What did I tell you about alleys?"

"I doubt anyone will attempt to mug us, Sir Knight," Dianna barely sounded winded and Don wondered how long she would stay in a gym running on the treadmills on a given night. "Besides, I'm sure you would just pull out your armor and go all chivalrous again."

Donatello rolled his eyes at the knight in shinning armor reference but secretly he enjoyed it. He always felt a little prouder and better for helping someone in need. He thought back to all those times his brothers and him had saved April or some other person. Most of the time the person would scream or faint but the few who kept their wits about them enough to say thank you or give a slight friendly gesture gave him a feeling that they were appreciated for once instead of feared.

He was so caught up in his memories he nearly plowed over Dianna when she stopped. As it was she stumbled forward a few steps when Don run into her back. "Darn," she said quietly as she stared ahead of them.

"What's-" Don never finished his sentence because at that moment he noticed the police cruiser idling in front of them on the street. The cruiser was empty and the two of them were still partially hidden in shadows but Don could hear the two policemen approaching. His mind began to calculate the fastest way they could avoid detection but Dianna beat him to the punch.

"I got an idea," she hissed as she quickly adjust his hat and fluffed up his collar slightly. She then twisted around in his arms and pulled his hands forward so it looked like he was cuddling her close.

"Dianna!" he gasped and tried to jerk away. This was her plan? He was pretty sure the officers would suspect something if his face was lighting up like Rudolf's nose. They would probably think he was on something.

Dianna just pulled him close again, "Just shut up and do it. They've already seen us so let's give them a show."

Don found himself regretting every second he had ever spent with Dianna as the police got closer. She had her head twisted up so it seemed like she was whispering in his ear about something. The position gave him an enticing view courtesy of the vee-neck shirt she was wearing. Don closed his eyes and wondered if there was any chance for his head to just spontaneously combust.

"All right you two," came a lazy sounding voice that had to be from one of the officers. Don listened as their boots stopped clicking on the sidewalk a few feet from them and he founding himself hoping that their little charade worked. He knew he should have run when he had the chance. "Break it up and head home."

Dianna then let out a giggle that he had only heard on movies when high school cheerleaders were whispering behind their hands as the cute guys in the school walked by. Don was sure his head was smoking. "What an excellent idea," Dianna practically purred as she looked towards the two officers. Don could hear a slight gasp as one of the men had a good look at her face, "I like they way you think. My place is closer, let's go."

With that she twisted them both around so that it looked like Don was holding her close and she was leaning into her. The shadows that his hat was casting and the fact that both officers seemed spellbound by Dianna meant that they didn't give the girl's 'boyfriend' a second glance. Don found himself breathing a sigh of relief as they headed down the street, Dianna was snuggled up to his side as if she always did it and his arm casually slug around it as if he did it everyday.

"Lucky guy," he heard one of the cops mutter to his associate as they headed off in their own direction.

They continued to walk down the street at a leisurely pace until the patrol car pulled away from the curb and headed down the street. Dianna then twisted her head around to make sure they were gone. "The coast is clear," was the only warning Donatello had before she was off and running again, half dragging him behind her as she run into another alley on the other side of the street. He wondered if it was possible to get whiplash from being jerked around so much.

They were midway down the alley when Donatello decided enough was enough. He was tired of being dragged around the city by his coat sleeve like some unruly child. In one swift movement he locked his knees and pulled his trapped arm backwards. Like he thought, Dianna let out a startled squeak and toppled over backwards unable to catch her balance in the heels she was wearing. Instead of hitting her head on the pavement like she thought a strong arm caught her about his middle and in one effortless heave had her righted again, facing a giant turtle in a trench coat.

The expression on her face was priceless and if the situation had been less dire Donatello would have poked fun at her for once. She had seen him and now knew what he was. This was something he had been trying to avoid since they first went out for coffee. Now not only was his family in danger but if anyone ever found out about them she could be in trouble too.

He opened his mouth to try and say something but he wasn't sure what. Instead of saying anything he sighed. He was never good at long good bye's anyway. He knew that now that she knew what he was there was a good chance that she would want nothing to do with him. That was for the best any way's, he tried to tell himself. At least now both his family and she would be safe.

"Don?" her voice was sad and he could almost feel her unhappiness at what was happening. "I'm never going to see you again, am I?"

Though he had stopped, Donatello refused to turn around and face her. He couldn't bear to see the sadness in her big blue eyes. If he did he was sure he would be able to walk away and vanish. He gave one sharp nod to show her she was right.

"But… Don… Why? I mean you're my frie-"

"Dianna, enough," he sighed again regretting his angry tone. Yup, he definitely wasn't good at long good bye's. "As long as you didn't know what I was it was fine to hang out but now it's too dangerous."

"For who? You or me?" There was something about her voice that made Donatello turn around to face her. He was shocked when he saw the silent tears trailing down her face. "Are you afraid for some help? Are you afraid I'll turn you in? Are you afraid I might catch you ad lock you up in the science lab for extra credit? Is that why you're leaving?

"Have you ever heard the phrase 'ever judge a book by its cover'? I met you over a freaking phone! I don't give a damn if you looked like Brad Pitt or turn out to be a mutant. I became friends with an IT tech guy that needed to take a chill pill and mellow out.

"And if you honestly think I would turn you over to scientist or lock you up to study myself, you're wrong. I'm not that kind of person. You're a living, breathing, cognitive thinking, with a will of its own creature. As far as I'm concerned you have the right to say 'no' and I would respect that wish."

She paused to catch her breath which she was taking in at an uneven rate as she fought to not break down completely in front of him. Donatello's mind was a whirl with everything he had just heard. Could he have really found another human like April and Casey? Someone who wasn't freaked out or disgusted by their looks? Part of him wanted to go over and give her a hug while the other part was trying to convince him to just leave. The hugging side was gaining ground by the second.

"But I guess I can't blame you," her voice was so soft he almost didn't hear her over his little inner war. "I doubt many people would act like me if they saw you. You had to run and hide in the past to defend yourself from humans." She took a shuddering breath and forced herself to give him one of her award winning smiles. "Take care of yourself, Don."

Then she was gone.

He stood in the empty alley for a good minute feeling like a complete heel. She had been so different from every other human why hadn't he thought she wouldn't care about his appearance. He thought back to the few times they had shared a cup of coffee together. Yes, there was definitely something about her that he found himself drawn to and with a simple stereo type he may have just thrown all of it away.

Something about that last thought had Donatello moving before he could blink. He practically flew up the nearby fire escape to the roof. He knew he would make better time up there then on the streets. He silently prayed that the Nightwatcher wasn't in the area. The last thing he needed was for Raph to see him.

A little over a minute later he landed with a light thud in the alley next to Dianna's apartment. He stepped out onto the street and glanced both ways. Dianna was walking toward him, head down and her sniffles loud enough that he could hear them a good thirty feet away. That made him feel even worst for misjudging her so and he dug around in his pocket until his hand caught a piece of paper floating in there.

"Dianna?" he said when she was close enough to hear. Her head snapped up and she gave him a deer-in-the-headlights-stare. Clearly she hadn't expected him to follow her, let alone beat her to her own apartment. He took the last few steps to reach her and took her hand in his. Turning it right side up, he put ten dollars into it.

A sad smile graced her lips. "You don't have to pay-"

"A cup of coffee as an apology," he quickly cut her off, not wanting her to get the wrong ideas. "That's what you do when you apologize, same time and place next week?"

There were no words that he knew of that could describe the look that spread over her face. Even the tears marring her face didn't take anything away from the joy. If anything they added to it. She wiped at her face and gave him a nod. He let go of her hand and headed for the familiar manhole cover in the alley down the road.

"Don," she said and he stopped, looking over his shoulder to see her standing there still smiling. "Thanks."

"You too," he said before heading down the road. He purposely walked slower until he heard the click of the lock locking behind her. He didn't want her running around on the streets this late at night, especially with what just happened to them in the park.

As he trudged through the ankle deep water on his way home he could feel that there was an extra bounce to his step. Now that he knew Dianna wouldn't freak out he didn't have to be so cautious around her. So what if she saw his hand or his face? She wouldn't faint or scream like other people had done in the past.

That and he had someone to talk to other then someone in the family. April had been so busy trying to get her anthropology masters that she hadn't had that much free time to spare. Talking to Casey was out of the question, he was Raphael confidant and Don didn't want to make Casey feel like he would have to pick favorites.

He sighed and stretched his arms over his head not stopping till he heard his shoulders pop. The fight in the park had been refreshing too. He wondered if he could convince Dianna to go for a walk in the park again the following Wednesday but decided against it. He didn't want her to get hurt and besides, he just wanted to talk not fight. Raph could try to clean up the city on his own if he wanted. Don was just going to go to late night coffee with Dianna.

Donatello was so caught up in his thoughts that he failed to see the shadow break away from the wall and silently creep up behind him.

_Dun dun dun!_

_Don blushing angrily: Who said I had to act like her boyfriend? I could have gotten away easy enough on my own. _

_I know but now I'm on a mission to embarrass you as much as I can. (High fives 54Viruses) Besides you have to do whatever I write. It's in your contract._

_Don: There was a contract? When? Where?_

_Errr... A while ago._

_Don: I feel like I've been cheated somehow. And who's following me?_

_(Turns back to keyboard) You'll see._

_Don: Joy._


	6. Chapter 6: Blackmail

Disclaimer: Though I hate to admit it I don't think the turtles could all fit into my room so I guess I can't have them. Also I doubt I could live with Raph's snoring, Mikey B.O., Donatello's projects strewn around my floor, and Leo constantly nagging his brothers to show some respect to me. I guess it's probably better that they belong to someone else. Let them deal with all that and more. I don't want Stockman or Shredder blowing a hole in my wall, I've just gotten my room the way I like it.

Coffee Cups and Late Night Talks

_Wow, this took me forever to writ. Sorry about that. This is the first real confrontation that is witnessed and I had a real hard time writing Don as a stuck up jerk. I don't see him doing this to any of his brothers and I had to watch the scene where he and Raph first 'talk' in the movie like seven thousand times to get this scene halfway descent. I'm still not completely satisfied with it but I don't think I can make it much better either._

Chapter Six: Blackmail

Something suddenly wrapped around his neck pulling first backwards then twisting him around until he was in a very effective head lock. Black spots began to swim into his vision and he knew he was in trouble. His assailant was pinching off both his trachea and the arteries in his neck. He would be unconscious in a little under a minute.

He hadn't been idly while this was all going through his head. If anything Donatello was acting more then he was thinking. He had tried to resist his assailant pulling him backwards but whoever had him was strong. With himself twisted around in a headlock his center of balance was compromised and he knew he only had one chance. While one hand tried to relive the pressure on his neck the other was balled into a fist that was thrown at his aggressor's stomach aiming.

Before his hit could actually connect, Don was spun around and shoved into the nearby wall. Using the wall to help support him Don turned to his attacker and brought his hands up in a defensive position. Until his eye sight cleared he knew he was in serious trouble. He rapidly blinked his eyes to try and clear them up quicker while he wondered why he had been released.

A well known chuckle suddenly echoed through the tunnel. Instead of making him relax, it only served to warn him further. There were only a handful of people who could sneak up on him and of course it would have to be him.

He almost wished it was the Shredder.

Leo would have been the best one to sneak up on him but he was never that lucky.

"So what is the almighty Donatello doing out here in topside gear?" came a very familiar voice.

Instead it was his older brother.

His vision was now clear enough that he could see Raphael standing a few feet away. Raph was giving him that grin that told him that this wasn't the first time Raph had seen him topside. This was just the first time Raph had caught up to him. He dropped his guard but his muscles remained tense and ready. He didn't think Raph would attack him but he didn't want to take a chance. Even without his sais, Raphael was armed and dangerous. Very dangerous.

"Well?" His older brother prompted him leaning forward a little bit.

Don stepped away from the wall. He knew that this 'talk' was coming but had hoped that he could have avoided it. Still he knew how to get underneath Raphael's skin. Acting as nonchalant as possible, Don brushed invisible lint and dust off his jacket's sleeves and front. "I don't see how that is any of your business."

Don didn't look at Raph but could feel his brother's gaze. "Well, I'm makin' it my business. What were ya doing streetside?"

"As I said," Do finally look at his brother while he straightened his coat. "That is none of your business."

Raph's arms which had been crossed over his chest fell to his sides and he took a menacing step forward. Don knew that Raph would try to intimidate him to get his way. His large muscle built gave him more then enough intimidating qualities. He tried no to show his nervousness as Raph said in a very low voice, "I'm sure Splinter wouldn't like to know that his _replacement_ favorite son was out fighting at night."

Don tried not to show his surprise. How had Raph known he had been in a fight that night? It had to be because he had grass stains on his back and a bruised fist from where one man he had punched had a stronger jaw then he had thought. Don decided to try avoiding the question. "I never wanted to replace anyone and you know that."

Raphael laughed which only severed to make the muscle above Don's eye twitch. The day after Leo had left and sensei had told them all about the new chain of command Don had spoken out the most. While he was the most level headed turtle left he felt he lacked the fighting experience that would be needed if they had to ever get into a fight. He preferred to be the advisor rather then the leader.

Raphael's laughter had finally quieted down and he looked over at Don. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever," he said straightening himself out and taking on the smug 'you're going down look' he had been wearing a lot more of lately then usual. "What are you up to?"

Don popped an eye ridge up at him. It was time he started to play fire with fire. "I don't see how it's any of a concern of yours but if it will keep your idiotic superhero ego in check, I'm going to the movies."

Raph glared at him. "So why were down on Fifth? There are no movie theaters around there."

Donatello crossed his arms. "Just be glad that I'm at least giving you an excuse incase anyone is looking for me. This way you won't have to think your own."

Raph cracked his knuckles and gave Don a side long look. "Are you calling me stupid?"

Donatello clicked his tongue at Raph disapprovingly. "We're barely a minutes into this conversation and already you're resorting to violence. What would you tell Master Splinter when we both came back to the lair beat to shell and back?"

Both of them knew that Splinter knew of the raising tension between them. It was plain to see in almost everyday activities. Raphael had a tendency of glaring at Donnie when he talked and spoke to him in the 'I know best' voice that he usually reserved for Leo. Don was just as guilty as Raph was for adding fuel to the fire. He had developed a new voice that always had him speaking down to Raph as if he was inferior and he would flaunt his superior intelligence.

"I'm sure I could make a reasonable excuse if I had to," Raph said with a shrug. "And the only bruise I would have would be where my fist met with yer rock hard head."

Don knew that Raphael held the upper hand in close combat. While both of them had been trained in hand to hand and grappling, Raph spent more time lifting weights and brawling with the local thugs then he did. This meant that the older turtle was much stronger and better versed in the art of close combat. Yet he couldn't ignore the fact that Raphael was questioning his fighting prowess, "You shouldn't take me so lightly Raph. Fighting me is a lot more difficult then you think."

They both stood there for a moment, daring the other to make the first move. The noise in the sewers seemed to vanish completely as they continued to square off in a parody of the action sequences in the movies. Don felt he shoulders tense up another notch when Raphael shifted his left foot out more to help increase his balance. Don had seen that stance many times both in sparring matches and when they were out fighting. Raph was 'ready to rumble' as Mikey would say.

Not to be out done, Don shifted his right foot back while he pointed his left foot towards his adversary. Before he could bring up his hands, Raphael's voice shattered the rising tension. "I doubt that," he said with a smirk before turning and walking away, blatantly leaving his back open to attack.

Donatello felt his eye ridge twitch in irritation. Raph was dismissing him as a worthy opponent when both of them knew that he had saved Raph's shell on several occasions and kicked it quite a few. "So then you're afraid of me?" Don said completely forgetting who he was talking to.

Raphael whirred back towards him and bellowed, "As if I could ever be afraid of you, **little** brother!"

"It's nice to know how much my stature compares to yours!"

The older turtle marched up to him splashing the muddy sewer water everywhere. He didn't stop until he was in Donatello's so called personal space and titling his head down slightly so he was eye level to him. "I don't need ya to baby-sit me," he hissed in a very menacing voice.

An uncharacteristic anger built up in Donatello's chest. He was tired of letting Raph boss him around and even more tired of how Raph always assumed what Don was doing or thinking. Don took a step forward and stood on his toes causing Raphael to take a small but noticeable step back when his little brother suddenly rose in height and pressed into his personal space. "What I do in my free time is none of your business but I can assure you that I have no interest following you around as you play 'superhero'. If I tell you I am going to the movies then that is the excuse you will just have to live with." He took a step away from his befuddled brother and absently examined his nails, "As for tattle telling I don't think you are in any position to threatening me."

"What do ya mean," Raph asked as his eyes narrowed.

"It's called Blackmail, Raph. Or should I say Nightwatcher?" Donatello glanced out of the corner of his eye and was elated to see the look of confused look on Raphael's face. "It's really quite simple really Raph." Don turned towards him again. "While I may be going topside the only times I get into fights is for self defense." He didn't mention anything about Dianna. As far as he was concerned Raph was on a need to know biases and right now he didn't need to know. "I don't go looking for fights."

"Well excuse me for trying to do some good around here."

Don ignored him, "Either way you look at it, the one here who has more to lose is you. I know about your nightly escapades more then you may think and unless you do as I say, Splinter might be given a few hints as to what you are doing at night."

A dark look crossed Raph face as he glared at Donatello with the intensity of a leopard about to pounce on its prey. Instead of attacking Raphael growled, "What sort of hints would that be?"

"The Thirty Ninth Street run off where you store extra gear and your bike would be a good starting place."

"How the shell do you know where my bike is?"

"Because you're just too damn obvious Raph! It only took you two weeks to begin prancing around after Leo left playing cop and robbers, not thinking that no one would notice you missing from the lair all night. Several cameras took pictures of you –which you obviously let them take- in some of you favored fighting stances. And you look like a large metal turtle! I'm actually surprised no one else has connected the two of you.

As for where you store you're bike, you needed to have a place reasonable close to the lair in case you were ever seriously hurt yet far enough away we wouldn't hear you start it. There had to be enough room for you to work on the bike and store replacement parts. The station was the closest area that could be. And, for the record, I wasn't sure of the location until you confirmed it just now."

Don smiled in satisfaction as his older brother stood speechless before him. Somewhere in the back of his mind a small voice was reminding him of just how wrong this was but he was too wrapped up in rubbing his superior knowledge into Raph's face. Truthfully the older turtle had been very cautious in his exploits above ground. He had been able to stump Don for almost two months before Don had caught on.

After the silence had filled the air for a few moments, Don spoke again but in a lower voice then normal adding a slightly threatening tone to his voice. "This is what's going to happen, Raph. If you want me to keep your secret then you wouldn't tell anyone about what I'm doing. Also if I so much as suspect you're trying to follow me or find out what I'm up to then you can kiss your vigilante days good bye."

They glared at each other before Raph reached out and caught the shoulder of Donnie's jacket pulling him so that the two were nose to nose. Don didn't even try to stop or break the hold. This was a battle of wits not strength. He continued to stare into his brother's eyes showing Raphael that he was not to be toyed with. "I'll get you for this," Raph hissed after an unknown amount of time. Don felt a smidge better he had actually won one of their 'spats' for the first time in a long time.

"I'll see you coming a mile away," he replied hoping his voice did give away his good mood.

"I doubt that," Don caught the smirk on Raphael's lips and knew something bad was about to happen. That was the only warning he had when Raph suddenly released his jacket and gave him a small push away. Don felt a foot tuck behind his foot and he toppled over with a gasp of surprise. He landed flat on his shell, sewer water completely covering his for a brief second before he sat up. He coughed trying to rid his lings of water. Gasping in surprise hadn't been the best idea. All it had done was open his mouth for water to flow in.

After his lungs were mostly cleared he looked up at Raph only to find his older brother had started heading towards home again. Glaring Don stood and headed home as well. He had a feeling Raph was going to be in the shower when he arrived, meaning he would have to be soaking wet and smelling like something had died until Raph got out. Don hoped Master Splinter wouldn't smell it and want an explanation. Since his luck had been so poor that night he decided to make up and excuse just in case. He hated lying to his father but he knew if he told the truth he would be in so much trouble that it would make every punishable offense Mikey and Raph ever had look like a slap on the wrists.

When he arrived in the lair he headed straight to the kitchen. A few seconds later he had the coffee pot perking away merrily and filling the space with the aroma of fresh brewed coffee. Don took a deep breath and closed his eyes in satisfaction. He loved the smell of freshly brewing coffee almost as much as drinking it. He was pulling a mug from the cupboard when he sensed a presence behind him. He didn't have to turn around to know who it was. "Donatello, would you care to explain why you're dressed like that and… fresh from the sewers." Don sighed and wondered if he should thump his head against the cupboard. Why was his luck so poor lately?

As he turned to face his father he decided to find away to blame it on Dianna if he was ever able to leave the lair again.


End file.
